Carpet-stretcher.



No. 761,127. PATBNTED- MAY a1, 1904 w. ANDRES.

CARPET STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

- UNIT D STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ANDRES, OF J ONESVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAMN. AOHENBAOH, OF JONESVILLE, INDIANA.

CAR-PET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,127 dated May 31,1904. Application filed February 16, 1903. Serial No. 143,581. (Nomodel.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ANDRES, acitizen of the United States,residing at J onesville, in the county of Bartholomew and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed for stretching carpets andfor similar purposes, and I has for its object to simplify and improvethe construction of such devices and toincrease their efiiciency andease of operation; and the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified inthe claim.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which correspondingparts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the device applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlargeddetails of the carpet-en'- gaging head portion.

The improved device consists of two bar members. 10 11, superimposed andlongitudinally adjustable in opposite directions. The member 10 isprovided with a carpet-engaging head 12, centrally pivoted to the bar,as at 13, and provided with spaced carpet-engaging pins 14, extendingfrom its front edge, but not projecting below the lower line of the part12, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means when the member 12 lies flat uponthe floor or carpet the pins 14 will not touch the floor or carpet, sothat in order to engage them withv the carpet the rear end of the devicemust be elevated until the teeth will engage the carpet, and then whenthe bars are depressed again the section of carpet engaged by the teethwill be elevated and stretched over the contiguous corner of the part12, which thereby materially assists in holding the carpet and receivesa large portion of the strains and effectually prevents any tendency tofracture the carpet-threads. This is a very important feature of theinvention and will be further described and its benefitsmoreparticularly specified. The swiveling of the head member 12 is alsoan important feature of the invention and adds materially to theefficiency of the operation, as the head automatically adapts itself toany inequality in the strains and prevents any tendency to undue lateraland intermediately thereof is a plate provided with spaced perforations18.

Pivotally connected to the member 10 is a pawl 19, formed with spacedside members and transverse connecting member, the side members beingpivotally connectedby transverse bolt 20 to the member 10 and theconnecting member adapted to engage the teeth 17, as shown.

The member 10 is provided with a series of spaced perforations 21 to,enable the pawl 19 to be adjusted longitudinally of the bars to providefor lengthening and shortening the device, as hereinafter shown.

Pivotally connected to the member 10 by transverse bolt 22 are straps 2324, extending one upon either side of the members 10 and 11 andpivotally connected, as at 25, to a lever 26, the lower shorter end ofthe latter terminating in a spur 27, adapted to engage the perforations18, as indicated, by which means the part 11 may be forcibly adjustedlongitudinally of the part 10.

The free end of the member 11 is provided with 2. depending lug 28,corresponding to the thickness of the member 10, to serve as a supportto the member 11 and maintain the adjacent surfaces of the parts 10 and11 in uniform and parallel relations. By this means the parts areuniformly supported when in their distended positions, and therebyprevented from binding or cramping during the movements. This is also animportant feature of the invention and adds materially to the efiiciencyof the operations and greatly lessens the labor and prevents unequalstrains between the parts, as the members 10 11 are maintained inconstant parallel relations.

The members 10 11 will be of a length corresponding to the smallest roomin which it will likely be employed and may be constructed extensible totwice the length of the member 10 less the necessary overlap caused bythe straps and lever-and-pawl connection. The device is thus capable ofa wide range in the sizes of the rooms, and by providing an extra bar 10or 11 of greater length the range may be still further enlarged; butthis would not be a departure from the principle of the invention, as itwould not affect the manner of operating nor the results produced.

In using the device the carpet to be stretched is tacked at one cornerof the room. The

stretcher is then elevated by the rear end until the points 1 L can beengaged with the carpet at one of the opposite corners and the stretcherlaid fiat upon the floor and the member 11 moved rearwardly until theend 28 is against the opposite baseboard or wall of the room.

Then adjust the pawl in proper position relative to the ratchet-teeth 17and by operating the lever successively in the apertures 18, when it isobvious the member 10, with its head 12 connected to the carpet will beforcibly'moved longitudinally of the member 11 and the carpet stretchedto any required extent. As fast as the stretched section of the carpetis tacked a new section is connected in the same manner, and so on untilthe carpet is entirely secured. By this simple arrangement a very strongpressure can be exerted upon the carpet and the latter stretched to anydesired extent and without injury thereto, as the strains aredistributed over so large an area that all danger of tearing the threadsis obviated.

The swiveling of the head 12, as before stated, increases materially theelement of safety, as the head will automatically adjust itself to thestrains and maintain a uniform strain throughout the whole length of thehead.

When used in rooms wider than the greatest range of the bars whendistended, a movable block or section of auxiliary bar may be insertedbetween the end 28 and the adjacent wall, so that the device may beemployed in rooms regardless of size.

The parts 10, 11, 12, and 26 will generally be of wood of suitable sizeand the remaining parts of metal, and the parts may be modified in minorparticulars Without affecting the principle of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- A carpet-stretchercomprising a pair of superposed stretcher-bars, and means for holdingthem in operative relation to each other, a swiveled head carried by theunder stretcherbar and provided on its front side with teeth the pointsof which terminate above the floorline, a shoe carried by the free endof the upper bar and being of a thickness equal to the head thus to holdthe bars in parallel relation, a rack-plate carried by the upper bar, abailshaped pawl mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the lower bar andto engage the rackplate, a plate carried by the upper bar and providedwith orifices, a lever having a spur to engage the orifices, and a pairof links pivotally connecting the lever with thelower bar and adaptedfor longitudinal adjustment on the latter. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ANDRES.

Witnesses:

LEWIS BOWLEN, WM. F. (JoArs.

